Rohit Sharma in action© BCCI
The former India skipper and Mumbai Indians opener batter Rohit Sharma has started his IPL 2026 campaign with a bang and that has attracted many eyeballs, including the ‘Little Master’ Sunil Gavaskar, who believes that Sharma’s footwork is looking quicker after the change in his physical condition. Speaking on Star Sports, Gavaskar talked about Rohit’s improved fitness and its impact on his batting. “We’ve all seen the change in Rohit Sharma’s physical condition. He has clearly worked very hard, and the rewards are visible. His footwork looks quicker, he has more energy, and that gives him more time at the crease. Elegant players often make batting look effortless, but that comes from preparation and hard work,” said Gavaskar.
The 38-year-old Sharma has retired from Test and T20I cricket and plays only one format internationally – ODI. He has worked hard on his fitness and looked more agile and effortless while batting in MI’s season opener against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), where he made 78 off 38 balls, including six fours and as many sixes, which helped MI win the match comfortably.
This was the first occasion after the 2012 season, when MI won their first match of the IPL season. Mumbai Indians chased down a 221-run target with six wickets and five balls to spare, which was also their biggest chase in IPL history.
Gavaskar was very mesmerised by the selection of shots Sharma played in his 78-run knock against KKR.
“Some of the shots he played recently reminded you of Rohit in his early twenties, when he made batting look ridiculously easy. It’s great to see him scoring runs again because he’s such a delightful player to watch,” said Gavaskar.
Mumbai Indians are facing Delhi Capitals in their second match of the IPL 2026 at the Arun Jaitey Stadium in Delhi on Saturday, and MI will be hopeful of another ‘Rohit Sharma Special’.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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